Replacement
by LiveLaughLove728
Summary: After the Giant War, Tyson has a long overdue present for Percy.


**Hey guys!**

 **This is something I've wanted to write for a while. It's a headcannon I've had for a while and have used in multiple stories I've posted, so I think it needs its own little fanfic. :)**

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I walked past the battered Big House on my way back into Camp, looking around and assessing the damage that had been done to possibly my favorite place in the entire world. The final battle had been hard on the camp and, looking around at the carnage, it was still hard to believe we had actually managed to win. Still, a lot of progress had been made during my time away and I felt a little guilty that I had been gone for the majority of the cleanup that had taken place over the past week.

It had been eight days since Gaea had risen and we'd lost so many people. In the first hours after the battle, it had been all hands on deck trying to put out the fires, tend to the wounded, and gather the dead. The next day, the cleanup efforts had begun and had obviously been going on since. I had gone home after the second day back to see my family because I couldn't take being away anymore. I'd spent the better part of the last week there with them, partially because I really needed the break, and also because it would have been cruel of me to come home after almost a year away only to leave right away again. Chiron had told me to stay with my mom for a few days and not to worry about what was happening at camp, that it was all under control without me, and while I had no regrets about finally seeing my family again, I did feel a little bad about leaving all the work to everyone else.

Walking through camp now, I was careful to avoid the craters carved in the earth from the catapulted boulders as I looked around. The grass was heavily singed all throughout camp and many of the buildings were now gone. The campers whose cabins had been ruined beyond livability had been camping outside in tents and sleeping bags, though the cabins were high priority to be repaired or rebuilt. Reconstruction was already underway.

A handful of younger campers, led by Chris Rodriguez, were gathered near the rubble of what had once been the arts and crafts building. One of the Giants had trampled it underfoot and there was little left of it now. The campers were loading the debris into chariots pulled by pegasi to be taken away. When they saw me, they all waved and called out in greeting. "Want to help?" Chris asked, holding up an extra shovel, "We could use an extra set of hands."

"Yeah," I said, "No problem. Let me just drop this off at my cabin," I gestured to my backpack slung over one shoulder, "Be right there."

"Cool, thanks!" Chris called.

I continued on, passing several other groups of working campers. I caught sight of Annabeth as I entered the horseshoe shaped group of cabins. She and a few of her siblings were helping a number of Hephaestus campers repair the Hermes cabin, which had lost its right wall and most of its roof. The Apollo and Demeter cabins had suffered similar damage. The Nike cabin had been wiped out completely. All had groups of demigods working on them and they looked much better than they did the last time I saw them. She smiled when she saw me and waved before looking back down at a blueprint in her hands.

I reached Cabin 3 and tossed my backpack inside from the doorway to retrieve later, and then turned back to keep my word to Chris about helping out. I only made it as far as the canoe lake though before a familiar voice called out from behind me. "Brother!" I stopped and turned around to see an excited Cyclops running toward me.

I smiled but had little time to do anything else before I was practically lifted off my feet by his bear hug. "Tyson, hey!" I winced, "Easy, big guy, you're crushing me."

"Oh!" Tyson let go immediately and stepped back. "Sorry!"

"What are you doing here?" I asked him, "I thought you were in New Rome with Ella."

"Yes, I was. Ella likes New Rome. Frank and Reyna are very nice to her. She is helping them write books."

"That's great," I told him, "But weren't you going to stay there and help her?"

"Yes," said Tyson, "Daddy says I can stay with Ella in New Rome until the books are done."

I nodded, still waiting for a straight answer. "Okay, but then shouldn't you be in California?"

"No. I came here very early with Nico today. I will go back later."

"Oh," I said, conceding to the fact that my question was not going to be answered, "Well, it's good to see you, big guy."

"Yes! You too, brother."

I smiled up at him. "Listen, I told Chris that I would help him clean up the mess from the arts and crafts building. Want to come with me? We could really use you."

"I will help you and Chris," Tyson agreed, nodding, "But first I want to give you your present."

I blinked. "What present?"

"Your Christmas present."

Now I was really confused. "Um, it's a little early for Christmas presents, isn't it? I mean, it's only August."

Tyson was shaking his head. "Not early. Very, very late."

"What?"

Tyson was digging through the pocket of his jeans. "I was going to give it to you in the winter during Christmas, but you left before I could."

From his pocket he pulled out a familiar looking object. My eyes widened. It was a wristwatch; exactly like the one he'd given me after our quest to Polyphemus' island, which I'd later lost in Alcatraz fighting Kampê. "Where did you…?"

"You said the first one saved your life. But you lost it, so I had to make another one so you could be safe. It was supposed to be a present for Christmas, but you left for a long time and did more fighting before I gave it to you." He held his hand out to me, the new wristwatch shield he'd made lying in his palm.

Touched, I took it from him and examined it. It looked identical to the one I remembered. The leather band even felt the same. Curious, I pressed the button on the side of the watch face. Just like the old one, the watch transformed, spiraling into a polished Celestial Bronze shield. Also like the old one, this one had scenes engraved into it, though there were more than last time. Along with the old images, there was one of Chiron bestowing Annabeth and me with laurel wreaths after winning the chariot race and another of Daedalus giving Annabeth his laptop; me fighting a dracaena during the battle of the labyrinth; Tyson leading the army of Cyclopes into battle during the Titan War, and, my personal favorite, an depiction of Annabeth and me walking on the beach hand in hand.

For a few seconds I was at a loss for words. Tyson was looking at me expectantly. "You've had this since last Christmas?" I asked finally.

He nodded. "Wanted to give it to you then but the mean goddess stole you and then the war happened." He looked down, "Sorry."

"What? No, that's okay, big guy. Not your fault."

"You like it?" he asked hesitantly.

Retracting the shield, I grinned at him and fastened the watch around my left wrist. "Yeah, I love it. Thanks, Tyson. This is really awesome."

Tyson smiled widely. "Now you will be safe next time you go on a quest!"

"Yeah," I told him, "I mean, I'm kind of hoping the whole questing thing is over for a while, but I'll definitely use it a lot."

"When you fight monsters?"

"Every time," I promised.

"Yay!"

I smiled at him, then said, "Still want to help Chris clean up the mess from the arts and crafts building?"

"Yes! Let's go help Chris!"

"Cool," I said, "Come on."

Needless to say, Tyson loved working with the pegasi and the campers really appreciated his help.

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 **I know. I hate the ending, but I didn't know what else to do...**

 **Thanks for reading, and to my fellow Americans, I hope you had a fabulous Thanksgiving!**


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